Mayor Bloomberg, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, President of the Art Dealers Association of America Lucy Mitchell-Innes and Armory Show Founder and Vice President Paul Morris today kicked off a week of arts-related activities and events taking place in New York City from March 7 to March 11. The Armory Show and The Art Show are expected to draw more than 80,000 attendees and generate more than $50 million in economic activity in New York City.

Other art shows and fairs taking place include: Art Now, Fountain Art Fair New York, PooL Art Fair, Scope New York, Volta NY and Theorize NY. Last year, a record 50.5 million people visited New York City, and more than 20 million of those visitors participated in a cultural activity during their stay. The kickoff took place at the opening of the Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan, where the Mayor was joined by Art Dealers Association of America Director Linda Blumberg, Henry Street Settlement Director David Gurza and Museum of Modern Art Director Glenn D. Lowry.

“New York City is the arts and cultural capital of the world, and this week is full of opportunities to experience some of the most exceptional art from here and around the globe,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “These are exciting events for art lovers and a boon for New York, as more than 80,000 people are expected to tour our incredible galleries and museums, dine in our restaurants and stay in our hotels. The Art Show, Armory Show and all the fairs help underscore why the arts and our exceptional artists are so critical to our City every day of the year, and why we’ve made supporting the arts a top priority for our Administration.”

The 24th annual Art Show, organized by the Art Dealers Association of America, is the longest running national art show and will take place from March 7 to March 11 at the Park Avenue Armory. The show will feature more than 70 exhibitors who represent the nation’s leading art dealers – including nearly 60 galleries based in New York City. The gala preview on March 6 will support The Henry Street Settlement, a New York City agency that delivers a wide range of social services, healthcare and arts programming to more than 50,000 New Yorkers each year.

The 14th annual Armory Show will take place March 8 to March 11, at Piers 92 and 94. The Armory Show returns with the Armory Show-Contemporary on Pier 94, which will feature 120 leading international exhibitors who represent 30 countries, and the Armory Show-Modern, which will feature 71 exhibitors from nine countries that specialize in historically significant modern art. In addition to The Armory Show and The Art Show, Armory Arts Week celebrates the many public events at cultural organizations in neighborhoods throughout the city. These include Uptown & Museum Mile (March 6), Bronx Day & SoHo Night (March 8), Long Island City Night (March 9), Chelsea Day & Brooklyn Night (March 10), and Lower East Side / Downtown (March 11).

“New York City is home to the greatest artists and arts organizations in the world,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin. “We are thrilled that dynamic art fairs will enhance our neighborhoods throughout the month of March, and invite audiences from across the street and around the globe to explore all our extraordinary cultural offerings.”

“Encompassing hundreds of museums, galleries, performances, festivals and installations, New York City’s arts and culture sector continues to makes up a fundamental part of our $32 billion tourism industry,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “Each year, events like The Art Show and The Armory Show help us promote the City as a cultural destination, attract millions of domestic and international cultural visitors, and significantly contribute in economic impact to the livelihoods of our boroughs. We’re pleased to welcome these events to the City this year and encourage everyone to experience both the arts as well as all that New York City has to offer.”

“New York City creates so many opportunities for great art experiences, and art fairs are a prime example of how the arts both inspire and sustain the cultural life of the city,” Art Dealers Association of America President Lucy Mitchell-Innes said. “ADAA galleries in The Art Show at The Park Avenue Armory will be interacting with art viewers from New York and around the world to encourage even more participation in the arts.”

“This year’s Armory Show is sure to stand out from our past editions, as well as other fairs from around the world,” said Paul Morris, Founding Director of The Armory Show. “For the 2012 edition, we have taken a new direction for the fair. Most notable is that The Armory Show is now a smaller, more boutique fair that enriches every experience for the many collectors, curators and guests who come to The Armory Show to see the greatest art from around the world. As with our previous editions our hallmark Armory Arts Week will launch today, Tuesday March 6th, and will highlight the very best in museum and gallery exhibitions, artist studio and private collection visits along with the other ten extraordinary art fairs that fill the week.”

For information about art shows and other events taking place this week, visit nyc.gov.